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Safe food handling practices minimize the potential growth of microorganisms, a major cause of food borne illness. The most commonly reported causes of food borne illness are poor personal hygiene and improper cooking and storage temperatures.
Worksite Wellness Toolkit
General Guidelines for Safe
Food Handling Practices
| Clean |
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Wash hands and surfaces where food is placed often |
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Wash hands in hot, soapy water before preparing food and after using bathroom. For best results, you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing thoroughly. |
Foods in which microorganisms can grow rapidly are called potentially hazardous foods. These foods contain optimal conditions for microorganisms to grow, such as being high in protein, moist, and neutral or slightly acidic pH. Examples of potentially hazardous foods are: milk and milk products, all meats, poultry, fish and shellfish, garlic and oil mixtures, sprouts and raw seeds, shell eggs, tofu, soy-protein foods, baked or boiled potatoes and cooked rice and beans.
Safe food handling practices include good personal hygiene, controlling time and temperature and preventing cross-contamination. Follow these four steps to ensure safe food is served at all events. Whether making it at home or at the event, be sure to follow these practices:
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Wash cutting boards, knives, utensils and countertops in hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before going on to next one. |
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Use plastic or nonporous cutting boards. Cutting boards should be run through dishwasher, or in hot, soapy water after use. |
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Use paper towels for cleaning, or washcloth towels often in hot cycle of washer. |
| Seperate |
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When shopping, separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in the cart. Store raw meats on bottom shelf of refrigerator to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods. |
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If possible, use one cutting board for raw meats and another for salads and other foods, which are ready-to-eat. |
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Never put cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meats, poultry or seafood |
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Wash cutting board after each use |
| Cook |
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Use a thermometer when cooking foods |
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Roasts and steaks should be cooked to at least 145˚ F |
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Whole poultry to 180˚ F |
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Ground meat to 160˚ F (Meat should not be pink on the inside.)
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Eggs should be cooked till firm, not runny |
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Fish should be opaque and flake easily |
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Sauces, gravies and soups should be brought to a boil to reheat and leftovers reheated to 165˚ F |
| Chill |
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Make sure refrigerator is set at 40˚ F or less, and freezer is 0˚ F or less |
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Chill foods within 2 hours after being set out |
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Divide leftovers into small, shallow containers for quicker cooling |
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Do not over pack the refrigerator. Foods won’t cool fast enough to prevent bacteria from growing. |
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Do not keep foods in the temperature danger zone (40˚ F to 140˚ F) more than four hours. Generally, if food is left out for more than 2 hours total, throw it out. |
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